I can't wrap my brain around scales

[JetFixxxer]

Your standard 12-bar blues progression is

E E E E | E E E E | E E E E | E E E E |
A A A A | A A A A | E E E E | E E E E |
B B B B | A A A A | E E E E | E/B E/B E/B E/B

with every letter being a beat and | marking the measures.

You have E E E E | E E E E | E E E E| E E E E | for the first 4 measures.. do you have to play all "E"'s in the first 4 measures.. thats what I mean about all a lot of "E"'s.

[Spivonious]

You have E E E E | E E E E | E E E E| E E E E | for the first 4 measures.. do you have to play all "E"'s in the first 4 measures.. thats what I mean about all a lot of "E"'s.

For a true 12-bar blues, yes. It doesn't mean they all have to be the same chord shape or voicing but they need to have a tonic function.

[JetFixxxer]

For a true 12-bar blues, yes. It doesn't mean they all have to be the same chord shape or voicing but they need to have a tonic function.

Why? and what determines how many of the exact notes are played in a measure such as the 12 bar blues.

[Mr.death]

Check out this site. Very helpful.

http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/chords-to-scale.php